Fan the Flames: How surprised are you at the Flames results through the first half of the season?
Damien Sordelett, Lynchburg News and Advance: I’m not surprised at all with the 4-2 record. The manner in which Liberty got there, yes, I am surprised. My thoughts before the season were the offense would continue shining and the defense would make gradual improvements. The fact it has been reversed is something not many saw coming. The defense has been the best surprise so far with its strong play and ability to not break, especially in the red zone. Take away the game at Louisiana and this defense has really been the unquestioned bright spot for this team. In one of the several radio interviews I did leading up to the season, I mentioned this team has the potential to go 8-4 with the way the schedule was laid out, 6-6 at worse. With Rutgers having its issues and BYU’s quarterback situation still up in the air when the Flames make the trip to Provo in early November, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see eight or nine victories this season. But back to your original question, no, I’m not surprised at all with the record.
FTF: Which players have stood out for you on offense? defense?
DS: On offense, wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden and running back Joshua Mack have easily stood out so far. Mack has really rebounded from the fumble on his second carry against Syracuse and is showcasing how dynamic of a threat he is in the offense, and Gandy-Golden continues to shine. Defensively, cornerback Kei’Trel Clark and nose guard Ralfs Rusins are the two who have stood out the most. Clark, a true freshman, has been arguably the team’s best cover corner and his ability to take away one side of the field has allowed the defense to continue to shine without Bejour Wilson and Emanuel Dabney. Rusins is a dominating force inside and has made a huge impact in the run defense. His ability to get a push up front has been a reason why this defense has been rather good in short-yardage situations.
FTF: How high of a ceiling does Antonio Gandy-Golden with his name starting to come up in quite a bit of NFL Draft discussion?
DS: I’ve seen projections ranging for the first or second day for Gandy-Golden, and I’m going to side with those projections. You can’t teach 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and his gymnastics background allows him to do so much more as a receiver than others his size bring to the table. His biggest growth this season is the ability to plant his foot on a route and get open that way. Going back and watching replays of games has proven he has added another dimension to his game that will serve him well at the next well.
FTF: To what do you attribute the success of the defense this year, especially the last two weeks after allowing 103 points the first 4 games?
DS: Liberty has allowed 40 points in its three victories against FBS teams (Buffalo, New Mexico and New Mexico State), and most of the points allowed against Hampton came in the second half when the Pirates had their first-string defense in and the Flames were playing youngsters. The key to that success has been red zone defense (sixth in the nation) and turnovers forced. I mentioned this in the first question that Liberty’s ability to bend but not break has been vital to the team’s success on defense. Forcing two turnovers inside the 10-yard line against New Mexico State is the main reason the Flames left Las Cruces with a victory.
FTF: Who had really opened your eyes on offense and defense this year? (Outside of SBC, AGG, JL)
Wide receiver Kevin Shaa has been a nice surprise on offense, considering we heard a lot about him last season before he unexpectedly asked to redshirt the final eight games of the season. He gives Liberty’s a dynamic outside receiver who is quick in open space. The slot receivers (DJ Stubbs and Damian King) already bring that, so adding a similar element creates several mismatches the offense can utilize during the season. Defensively, free safety JaVon Scruggs has really emerged as a quality tackler. Safety is Scruggs’ natural position and he is not afraid to tackle, so seeing him fly around and finish plays is something the defense was missing last season.
FTF: If you could give a grade A-F to the offense, defense, special teams and team as a whole through the first 6 games, what grade would you give them?
DS:
Offense: B
There is definitely more this unit can do, especially in the red zone. There is no reason this offense should rank near the bottom in the nation in red zone efficiency. If Liberty is going to play complementary football this season, each drive that reaches the red zone needs to end with touchdowns. That opening drive against New Mexico State is a classic example of what can’t happen for this team: 13 plays, reach the 12-yard line, and then penalties and self-inflicted wounds force a 50-yard field goal attempt that clanked off the right upright. Liberty’s margin of error is slim to begin with, so minimizing those mistakes is crucial moving forward.
Defense: A-
What more can you ask from a unit that statistically was one of the worst in the nation each of the past two seasons? The players are flying around and making plays, which wasn’t the case previously.
Special Teams: Inc
There’s not enough there for me to really give a grade. Alex Probert hasn’t had many opportunities for field goal tries, Aidan Alves is punting well, and the return game could have more to show for it if not for penalties. Maybe we’ll see more in the upcoming weeks to give a grade to this unit.
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